Speed of Life

U2 performing Sunday Bloody Sunday during their 360 degrees world tour at the Rose Bowl on October 25th, 2009. As the song Sunday Bloody Sunday opens, U2 now scrolls the lyrics from the Rumi poem Azadi . The word Azadi itself simply means Freedom . U2 is supporting Artists 4 Freedom by using the Rumi poem which provides the lyrics to Dj Spooky and Sussan Deyhim's new track, Azadi (The New Complexity) . U2's multimedia screens mash together the lyrics to Azadi along with photos of the protestors in Iran and artworks by Shirin Neshat. Inspiring stuff. Azadi (The New Complexity) is a song based on a classic poem by Rumi, one of the poet laureates of Iran’s still vibrant poetic legacy. Here is the original poem translated into English SHOW ME YOUR FACE by Rumi i crave flowers and gardens open your lips i crave the taste of honey come out from behind the clouds i desire a sunny face your voice echoed saying “leave me alone” i wish to hear your voice again saying “leave me alone”...

Born 1491 Saint Ignatius of Loyola, author of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius 1805 Adalbert Stifter, author of Rock Crystal 1831 Basil L. Gildersleeve, author of Gildersleeve's Latin Grammar 1890 Henrietta C. Mears, author of What the Bible Is All About 1913 Odd Eidem, author of Cruise 1918 Edward Rice, author of Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton 1919 Manolis Andronicos, author of Delphi 1920 Gianni Rodari, author of Favole al telefono 1922 Nicholas Stuart Gray, author of The Seventh Swan 1925 Radu Florescu, author of Dracula, Prince of…Life and His Times 1926 Gladys M. Hunt, author of Honey for a Child's Heart 1927 Leszek Kolakowski, author of Main Currents of Ma…Age, The Breakdown 1927 Philip Lamantia, author of Bed of Sphinxes: Selected Poems 1927 Michel van der Plas, author of Herinneringen aan Godfried Bomans 1930 Ned Rorem, author of KNOWING WHEN TO STOP: A Memoir 1942 Michael Crichton, author of J urassic Park 1942 Tariq Ali, author of The Clash of Fundam…ihads ...

Springsteen and the E Street Band Perform "Higher and Hiigher" at the Philadelphia Spectrum on October 20, 2009 Listening to Bruce cover Jackie Wilson's classic is getting me ready for my birthday on Friday.

Heather Graham Stars in a Spot Promoting the Public Option. Narration by Peter Coyote.

HAMMER MUSEUM Poetry Reading W. S. MERWIN Thursday, October 29 at 7 PM Photo: Mark Hanauer In a career spanning five decades, W. S. Merwin has become one of the most widely read and acclaimed poets in the United States. His first book, A Mask for Janus (1952), was chosen by W. H. Auden for the Yale Younger Poets Series, and his most recent volume, The Shadow of Sirius (2008), was awarded the Pulitzer Prize (his second: the first was for The Carrier of Ladders in 1970). His many other honors include the Lannan Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Book Award, the Tanning Prize, the Bollingen Prize, and the Ruth Lily Prize. Admission to the event is free. Please arrive early. Dedicated to the memory of Doris Curran, this series, which has provided a stimulating forum for nationally and internationally known poets for forty years, is co-sponsored by the Friends of English, the W Hotel, the UCLA Office of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, and the Office of Instructional Development...

The Eyes - Composer Stuart Balcomb Gets Lost in Gregg Chadwick's Painting photo by Joanne Warfield

Gregg Chadwick Sea of Spring 春の海 (Haru no umi) 36"x48" oil on linen 2009 Japan has been a continual theme in my life and artwork. At age 10, I began my artistic dialogue with Japan before I even exited our arriving plane in Okinawa. On that journey I sketched the new world around me and have continued to do so over the years. My latest body of work was inspired by an artistic pilgrimage to Tokyo and Kyoto in March and April 2009. At that time, I was privileged to be in Kyoto at the height of the cherry blossom season. Young geisha in training (maiko) and full geisha brought their own color and timeless beauty to the city. The word geisha in Japanese means arts - person ( gei - sha). The flower and willow world of these caretakers of Japan's traditional arts seems to be as fragile and impermanent as the cherry blossoms that bloom so quickly then fall each year. Gregg Chadwick Gion Night 85"x37" oil on linen 2009 Gregg Chadwick Karyūkai ( 花柳界) 85"x...

Gregg Chadwick Takekurabe (Growing Up) 80"x80" oil on linen 2009 Santa Monica Art Studios is celebrating its 5 year anniversary tonight at the Santa Monica Airport. And Speed of Life also celebrates its 5 year anniversary. Stop on by tonight from 6-9 pm to celebrate and preview my new work. I'm in Studio 15. Hope to see you there! Santa Monica Art Studios 3026 Airport Avenue Santa Monica, California 90405 Saturday October 17th 6-9 pm Sunday October 18th 1-5pm

Love this song.

MUSEUMS FREE-FOR-ALL 24 Los Angeles and Orange County Museums Free Admission Days October 3 and/or 4, 2009 In a joint effort to present the arts and culture to the diverse and myriad communities in Southern California, the Museum Marketing Roundtable announces the fifth annual "Museums Free-For-All" Saturday-Sunday, October 3 and 4, 2009. The following museums - presenting art, cultural heritage, natural history, and science - will open their doors wide and invite visitors free of charge.* Participating Museums: Armory Center for the Arts - Both Days The Autry National Center - Sunday, October 4th ONLY Bowers Museum - Sunday, October 4th Only California African American Museum - Both Days California Heritage Museum - Saturday, October 3rd Only California Science Center - Both Days Craft and Folk Art Museum - Both Days Fowler Museum at UCLA - Both Days The Getty Center - Both Days The Getty Villa **- Both Days The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live - Sunday, October 4th Only...

Bruce Springsteen performs his new song Wrecking Ball at Giants Stadium September 30, 2009 - Meadowlands, New Jersey

"In America, magnificence is a common treasure.... We own together the most magnificent places on the continent." Carl Pope - The Sierra Club In 1872 the United States Government created the first National Park on the globe: Yellowstone National Park. Ken Burns has created a new series of documentary films, The National Parks - America's Best Idea , that celebrates this landmark achievement. Thomas Moran Yellowstone watercolor on paper from Ken Burns' The National Parks - America's Best Idea The first installment in the series, The Scripture of Nature , tells the history of Yellowstone and the inspiration for a National Parks system that sprung out of the collection of "artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and tourists" that found beauty and worth in the stunning natural world of Yosemite in California and Yellowstone in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Albert Bierstadt Yosemite Valley oil on canvas from Ken Burns' The National Parks - America's Best Id...

Kseniya Simonova Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation (Україна має талант / Ukraine's Got Talent) "Here, she recounts Germany conquering Ukraine in the second world war. She brings calm, then conflict. A couple on a bench become a woman's face; a peaceful walkway becomes a conflagration; a weeping widow morphs into an obelisk for an unknown soldier. Simonova looks like some vengeful Old Testament deity as she destroys then recreates her scenes - with deft strokes, sprinkles and sweeps she keeps the narrative going. She moves the judges to tears as she subtitles the final scene : "Ty vsegda ryadom" -- "You'll always be near." James Donaghy, The Guardian Echoes of William Kentridge's filmed drawings ... More at: Kseniya Simonova

Deo Gratias for Luke - The composer Johannes Ockeghem's canon, Deo Gratias , is sung by nine choirs of four voices each. The formal structure of the work is intricate yet creates an incredibly haunting musical space. Johannes Ockeghem was born in 1410 in Saint-Ghislain (now in Belgium) and died in Tours, France in 1497. (Hat tip to Eamonn Fitzgerald )

Giants Stadium, New Jersey - September 23, 2009 The New York Times Reviews the concert: U2 in the Round, Fun With a Mission

Magritte Olympia oil on canvas 1948 Musée Magritte Olympia painted in 1948 by Belgian surrealist René Magritte was stolen today by gun wielding thieves in a daylight heist at the Musée Magritte. The museum is housed in Magritte's former residence just outside Brussels and is dedicated to Magritte's art and life. The Times online interviewed Johan Berckman’s, a policeman at the scene, who said: “At 10.10am this morning (24 Sept 2009) someone rang the bell of the museum asking if they could visit. He was let in and when he was inside he pulled out a pistol and ordered the woman to go back to the door to let a second person come inside. “There were three museum workers inside at the time and two Japanese tourists. All five of them were ordered out the back and told to keep quiet by the man with the gun. “In the museum the other person stole the painting and they both made good their escape. They seemed to know which painting they wanted to steal - they took the whole painting o...

Buddha of South Africa (for Archbishop Desmond Tutu) , originally uploaded by GreggChadwick . Last night was the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Artists for a New South Africa . I was honored to be there and painted this small work as a gift for Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who unfortunately was not able to make the event. Alfre Woodard at Jabulani! Artists for a New South Africa We were treated to stirring speeches by Ahmad Kathrada, Barbara Hogan, Alfre Woodard, and a videotaped message from Archbishop Tutu. Jason White & the West Angeles Church Mass Choir got the hall rocking. And Corey Chisel and Jackson Browne provided soulful sets of inspiring music. Jackson Browne and band played a stirring rendition of Little Steven's I am a Patriot . (Here's a Youtube version from Browne's performance from Soundstage 2008 Window to the World Studios, Chicago October, 14th, 2008) Artists for a New South Africa

9/11 , originally uploaded by slagheap . New York, N.Y. (Sept. 15, 2001) -- A tired search dog finds time to rest as rescue efforts at the World Trade Center in New York City continue just a few feet away. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres. (RELEASED) Just came across this image today after 8 years. Touching..

"Once more we pause, once more we pray, as a nation and as a people. We read their names. We press their photos to our hearts. . . . We recall the beauty and meaning of their lives." THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release September 11, 2009 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY AT THE PENTAGON MEMORIAL The Pentagon Arlington, Virginia 9:34 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen and members of the Armed Forces, fellow Americans, family and friends of those that we lost this day -- Michelle and I are deeply humbled to be with you. Eight Septembers have come and gone. Nearly 3,000 days have passed -- almost one for each of those taken from us. But no turning of the seasons can diminish the pain and the loss of that day. No passage of time and no dark skies can ever dull the meaning of this moment. So on this solemn day, at thi...

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Portrait of A Man (Self Portrait?) Velázquez oil on canvas circa 1634-35 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York photo by Angel Franco/ New York Times Portrait of A Man (Self Portrait?) detail Velázquez oil on canvas circa 1634-35 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Years of discolored varnish and overpainting have a revealed a fresh new face in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 17th Century Spanish Collection. Carol Vogel has an informative article in today's New York Times: An Old Master Emerges From Grime Vogel interviewed Keith Christiansen, the Met’s newly appointed chairman of European paintings:“It’s bugged me for 25 years. The quality has always been there. And I had a hard time believing that a work of quality was the product of a generic workshop.” Keith Christiansen had Velázquez expert Jonathan Brown look at the restored painting. Vogel reports his response: "“One glance was all it took,” Mr. Brown said, adding later, “T...

Saffron Hugs at Luke Chadwick's Memorial Luke! Programs at Memorial Service General Chadwick USMC Semper Fi Luke's Graduation Photo at Memorial Service Peg and Bob Chadwick Ali Chadwick Plays for Her Brother Honoring Luke Post Service Hugs and Greetings for Cathy and Kent Chadwick Thoughts of Luke Hover in the Chapel Cathy's Flowers and Dana's Badge Cathy, Kent and Ali at the Celebration for Luke Bainbridge Fire and Rescue Workers Gather to Honor Luke at the Memorial Service MarySue Gazing at the Bainbridge Sky After the Memorial Service Cassiel , Grandma and Grandpa Flowers for Luke Evening Glow After the Memorial With Luke's Obama Sticker Cassiel With Dante 100 Years of Hallelujahs SunBreak for Luke A photo essay on A Celebration of Luke Chadwick's Life: Lean On Me at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, Bainbridge Island, Washington on September 6, 2009 Photos by Gregg Chadwick Luke's Celebration ended with a recording of Frank Sinatra singing New York, New Y...

Now breathe deeply - or perhaps it's better to laugh loudly and cheer clearly beside still waters to maybe skip easy on those green pastures near that big leafy tree dear wide-wondered Luke, the universe's courageous high holy, love only deep hugging, song-laughing open-handed friend. -Brian Bajari (after reading Luke Yen-hui's obituary) He's a beautiful man. I'm crying with you - even though I know he's "flying with the angels." Thank you Luke for your world-embracing love. Your smile that captured hearts wherever you went.

Update: A Photo Essay on "A Celebration of Luke Chadwick's Life: Lean On Me" at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, Bainbridge Island on September 6, 2009 Luke at Disneyland with Cassiel Chadwick and Kent Chadwick July 2007 Update : If you have pictures of Luke that you would like to post, I will upload them here on Speed of Life as a celebration of an amazing life. Please leave a comment below and send any photos to greggchadwick@earthlink.net. Luke Yen-hui Chadwick, died August 22, 2009 from acute respiratory failure after 3-months’ hospitalization at the University of Washington Medical Center. He was 22 years-old and a 2007 graduate of Bainbridge High School. Luke was born Yu Yen-hui September 20, 1986 in Taipei, Taiwan. He came to Washington state to his adoptive parents, Cathy and Kent Chadwick, in 1988. By then he had already contracted the progressive lung disease secondary pulmonary hypertension. Growing up, Luke focused on what he could do, as opposed to what he co...